Audi h-tron quattro concept rumored for Detroit

Audi introduced the e-tron quattro concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show and a new report is indicating the company will use the North American International Auto Show to stage the debut of a new h-tron quattro concept.

Designed to preview the 2018 Q6, the h-tron quattro concept will reportedly be virtually identical to the e-tron quattro concept but feature a new fuel-cell powertrain.

Additional information is limited but the e-tron quattro concept had an electric powertrain that consisted of a lithium-ion battery and three electric motors. The motors produced a combined output of 429 hp (435 PS / 320 kW) but that figure could temporarily be boosted to 496 hp (503 PS / 370 kW) and over 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque.

Thanks to the powerful electric motors, the crossover could accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds before hitting an electronically-limited top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). More importantly, the model could travel more than 311 miles (500 km) on a single charge.

The differences between the two concepts remain to be seen but Audi has been working on hydrogen-powered vehicles for a few years so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.